Chap. XIX. NATIVE CURIOSITY. 373 



formed a thicket of dark bodies, all looking on, apparently, 

 with, the deepest interest ; but they goodnaturedly kept each 

 other to a line we made on the sand, and left us room to dine. 

 They were civil upon the whole. Twice they went the length 

 of lifting up the edge of our sail, which we used as a tent, as 

 boys do the curtains of travelling menageries at home. They 

 named us indeed " chirombo," which means only the wild 

 beasts that may be eaten, but they had no idea that we 

 understood then- meaning. No fines were levied on us, nor 

 dues demanded. At one village only were they impudent, 

 but they were "elevated" by beer. They cultivate thejsoil 

 pretty extensively, and grow large quantities of rice and 

 sweet potatoes, as well as maize, mapira, and millet. In 

 the north, however, cassava is the staple product, which, with 

 fish kept till the flavour is high, constitutes the main sup- 

 port of the inhabitants. During a portion of the year, the 

 northern dwellers on the lake have a harvest which furnishes 

 a singular sort of food. As we approached our limit 

 in that direction, clouds, as of smoke rising from miles 

 of burning grass, were observed bending in a south- 

 easterly direction, and we thought that the unseen land on 

 the opposite side was closing in, and that we were near the 

 end of the lake. But next morning we sailed through one of 

 the clouds on our own side, and discovered that it was neither 

 smoke nor haze, but countless millions of minute midges 

 called " kungo " (a cloud or fog). They filled the air to an 

 immense height, and swarmed upon the water, too light to 

 sink in it. Eyes and mouth had to be kept closed while 

 passing through this living cloud : they struck upon the face 

 like fine drifting snow. Thousands lay in the boat when she 

 emerged from the cloud of midges. The people gather these 

 minute insects by night, and boil them into thick cakes, to be 

 used as a relish — millions of midges in a cake. A kungo 



